preston



N0. 6ll,844. Patented Oct. 4, I898. W. PRESTON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

. iNVENTOR WAULa/vw 6111513944 I MAATTORNEY WITNESSES:

THE ucnms PEYERS 00., PNOTO-UTHIL, WASHINGTON. n. c.

N0. 6lI,844. Patented Oct. 4, I898. W. PRESTON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ELI-1111p WITNESSES: INVENTOR flMZ/y MW? w mum pm m ATTORNEY Tm: nomusPETERS c0. PHoTmuma. WASHINGTON, a. c.

N0. 6ll,844. Patented Oct. 4, I898. W. PRESTON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed. Jan. 29, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR I WULMWG Tn: NORRIS PETERS o0FHOTO-LIYNO.,WASHINGTON. n. c.

travel.

NITED STATES PATENT Enron.

WILLIAM PRESTON, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,844, dated October4, 1898.

Application filed January 29, 1897- Serial No. 621,144:- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PRESTON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York, (Brooklyn,) county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches for railway-tracks, and especiallythose adapted for tram-cars, such as horse-cars, cable-cars, electriocars, (to.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andefficient apparatus of the kind described and one that may be easily andpositively operated by a car moving on the track.

The invention consists of the construction hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings representing one embodiment of the invention and formingpart of this specification, and in which like letters designate similarparts, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of portions of a track, showing myinvention applied thereto, the switch being open in one case and closedin the other case; and Fig. 3 is a plan View of a modified arrangement.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a car adapted to automatically operate theswitch.

Referring now to the particular construction shown in the drawings, A Aare the rails of the track, over which the car is adapted to B is a longlever pivbted at a point a in the rear of the switch-point to a suitablesupporting-base, so as to swing in a horizontal plane. This leverextends lengthwise along the track and generally between the rails; butit could of course be located outside the rails and near to one of them,if desired. The lever is connected .on one side of its pivot a to theswitch-point O by a link or other suitable means and is generallyinclosed in a housing D. It is provided for the purpose hereinafterdescribed with bearing-points b b, which are generally in the form ofantifriction-rollers and are located one on each side of the pivot a andboth preferably at the rear of the switchpoint.

E is a shoe carried by the car F and adapted to be brought in contactwith the lever on one side at the points I) b,'the shoe as it movesforward with the car operating to push one or the other of thebearing-points laterally and so move the lever and switch-point.

Thus the momentum of the car furnishes the which may at the time beswung out from the rail; but the shoe is not able to pass in between therail and that one of the bearingpoints I) and b which at the time may beswung close against the rail without moving the lever on its pivot andoperating the switch. Thus the shoe when moving the lever acts as awedge. The rail A thus provides braces for the shoe opposite the pointsI) b, so that the shoe may be braced against lateral strain when wedgingor hearing against the points 19 b to operate the switch.

In Fig. 3 the lever B is disposed so as to bring its bearing-points b bmidway between the rails, so that a car may operate the switch, runningeither end forward, and not require more than two shoes, one at each endof the middle of the car. In this case braces G G, opposite thebearing-points b b of the lever B, serve to brace the shoe when wedgingagainst these bearing-points in the same way as the rail A abovedescribed.

F is a car carrying a shoe E, designed to be-moved up and down, so thatit may be brought into contact with the lever.v The shoe as here shownis connected with an operating-treadle d on the platform by means oflevers or other suitable means The shoe slides in ways E E and has aspring e to normally hold the shoe above the track.

In order that the lever may be positively held in either position towhich it may be moved, I may employ a spring H, connected at one end tothe lever on one side of its pivot on andat its other end to the casingD on the opposite side of the pivot. As the lever moves from side toside the spring is carried from one side of the pivot to the other side,and thus serves to hold the lever in either position to which it ismoved. The lever B may be located on either side of the switch-point butwith respect to the direction of the cars movement, and its pivot ashould always be located in the rear of the switch-point i. 6., anapproaching car should reach the lever before it reaches theswitch-point.

The bearing-points b b of the lever, it will be seen, are both locatedat the rear of the switch-point. This enables the shoe of the carapproaching the switch to strike either of the bearing-points and openand close the switch before the car reaches the switch. Suppose, forexample, the switch were closed, as shown in Fig. 2c'. 0., thrown formain-line traffic-and an approaching car was to be turned off upon thebranching track. The carman without seeing the switch or knowing itscondition would only have to hold his shoe down till he had passed thebearingpoint I) and the switch would be turned for the branch track. Ifthe car were designed to continue on the main track, the shoe would bekept down while passing the bearing-point b, and the carman need notwait to lower his shoe till he had passed point I), because whatever theposition of the switch-point if the shoe were kept down while passingpoint Z) ,the car would be kept on the main track.

Thus it will be seen that the switch, while very simple in constructionand inexpensive, enables a carman with absolute certainty to open orclose the switch so as to turn his car onto the side track or keep it onthe main track, as he may desire, and this without requiring him to knowthe condition of the switch before he reaches it. This is a veryimportant advantage. Vith the automatic devices now in use or heretoforeproposed it is absolutely essential for the carman to know the conditionof the switch before he reaches it, so that he may take the properaction to guide his car at the switch as he desires. In crowded streets,where a carman must be always prepared at a moments notice to stop hiscar to prevent collision or take on passengers, it is very difficult forhim to take note of the switches as he approaches them, and with wagonson the track ahead of him it might indeed be impossible for him to seethe switch-points without stopping for the purpose. Again, at night thedarkness would of course make it impossible for him to see the switchahead of him. The result is that these old devices often cannot bedepended upon in the daytime and are useless at night. \Vith myinvention, however, it is not necessary for the carman to see the switchat all. If he is to keep on the main track, he knows he must keep hisshoe down while passing point I), and he may put it down before hereaches point I) and not take it up till he has passed some distancebeyond the switch. If he is to take the side track, he knows he mustkeep his shoe down while passing point Z) and take it up before hereaches point I), which he can easily do.

While I have shown the point I), as well as the point I), disposed inthe rear of the switchpoint and prefer this arrangement, yet in somecases the point I) might be located directly opposite the free end ofthe switchpoint or even a short distance-as, say, a foot or so-inadvance thereof, provided the shoe E were located on the car in advanceof the front wheels, so that the shoe could strike the point h beforethe front wheels reached the switch-point.

Various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the apparatuswithout departing from my invention, as will be readil y appreciated.

V hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in a horizontalplane and located lengthwise of the track, said lever being connected inadvance of its pivot with the switch-point, so as to open or close theswitch when it swings on its pivot, braces opposite the lever on eachside of its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted to pass inbetween the lever and the braces to wedge the lever over and operate theswitch, said lever being provided with two lateral bearing-pointsopposite the braces,

one on each side of its pivot and both so dis posed with respect to theswitch-point that the said shoe may strike both bearing-points and throwthe switch in either direction as desired before the front wheels of thecar reach the switch, substantially as set forth.

2. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in a horizontalplane and located lengthwise of the track in proximity to a railthereof, said lever being connected in advance of its pivot with theswitch-point so as to open or close the switch when it swings on itspivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted to pass in between thesaid rail and the lever on either side of its pivot to wedge the leverover and operate the switch, said lever being provided with two lateralbearing-points one on each side of its pivot and both so disposed withrespect to the switch-point that the said shoe may strike bothbearing-points and throw the switch in either direction as desiredbefore the front wheels of the car reach the switch, substantially asset forth.

,3. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a levermedially pivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in ahorizontal plane and located lengthwise of the track, said lever beingprovided with antifriction-rollers on both sides of its pivot andconnected in advance of its pivot with the switch-point so as to open orclose the switch when it swings on its pivot, braces opposite the leveron each side'of its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted topass in be tween the antifrietion-rollers of the lever and the braces towedge the lever over and operate the switch, the antifriction-rollers ofthe lever being so disposed with respect to the switch-point that thesaid shoe may pass between them and the braces and operate the lever tothrow the switch in either direction before the front wheels of the carreach the switch, substantially as set forth.

4. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in a horizontalplane and located lengthwise of the track, said lever being connected inadvance of its pivot with the switch-point so as to open and close theswitch when the lever swings on its pivot, and a spring connected withthe lever and operating to maintain the lever in either position, thelever being provided with two lateral bearing-points both in the rear ofthe switch-point and one on each side of the pivot whereby a moving carby applying lateral pressure against the lever at its bearing-points maythrow the switch in either direction as desired before the front wheelsof the car reach the switch, substantially as set forth.

5. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the point so as to swing in ahorizontal plane andlocated lengthwise of the track, said lever being connected in advanceof its pivot with the switch-point so as to open and close the switchwhen it swings on its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted tooperate the switch, and a spring connected with the lever and operatingto maintain the lever in either position, said lever being provided withtwo lateral bearingpoints one on each side of its pivot and both sodisposed with respect to the switch-point that the said shoe may strikeboth bearingpoints and throw the switch in either direction as desiredbefore the front wheels of the car reach the switch,substantially as setforth.

6. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the point so as to swing in a horizontal planeand located lengthwise of the track, said lever being connected inadvance of its pivot with the switch-point so as to open and close theswitch when it swings on its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car andadapted to push against the lever on either side of its pivot andoperate the switch, and a spring connected with the lever and operatingto maintain the lever in either position, said lever being provided withtwo lateral bearingpoints one on each side of its pivot and both sodisposed with respect to the switch-point that the said shoe may strikeboth bearingpoints and throw the switch in either direc-' tion asdesired before the front wheels of the car reach theswitch,substantially as set forth.

'7. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a levermedially pivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in ahorizontal plane and located lengthwise of the track, said lever beingconnected in advance of its pivot with the switch-point, so as to openand close the switch when it swings on its pivot, braces opposite thelever on each side of its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adaptedto pass in between the lever and the braces to wedge the lever over andoperate the switch, and a spring connected with the lever and operatingto maintain the lever in either position, said lever being provided withtwo lateral bearing-points opposite the braces, one on each side of itspivot and both so disposed with respect to the switch-point that thesaid shoe may strike both bearingpoints and throw the switch in eitherdirection as desired before the front wheels of the car reach theswitch,.substantially as set forth.

8. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in a horizontalplane and located lengthwise of the track in proximity to a railthereof, said lever being connected in advance of its pivot with theswitch-point so as to open and close the switch when it swings on itspivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted to pass in between thesaid rail and the lever on either side of its pivot to wedge the leverover and operate the switch, and a spring connected with the lever andoperating to maintain the lever in either position, the lever beingprovided with two lateral bearing-points both in the rear of theswitch-point and one on each side of the pivot whereby a moving car byapplying lateral pressure against the lever at its bearing-points maythrow the switch in either direction as desired before the front wheelsof the car reach the switch, substantially as set forth.

9. In a switch, the combination with a switch-point, of a lever mediallypivoted at the rear of the switch-point so as to swing in a horizontalplane and located lengthwise of the track, said lever being providedwith antifriction-rollers on both sides of its pivot and connected inadvance of its pivot with the switch-point so as to open and close theswitch when it swings on its pivot, braces opposite the lever on eachside of its pivot, and a shoe carried by a car and adapted to pass inbetween the antifriction-rollers of the lever and the braces to wedgethe lever over and operate the switch, and a spring connected with thelever and operating to maintain the lever in either position, theantifriction-rollers of the lever being so disposed with respect to theswitch-point that the said shoe may pass between theni and the bracesand operate the lever to throw the switch in either direction before thefront wheels of the car reach the switch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM PRESTON.

